Fire in the Hole
by snarechan
Summary: Ashelin has looked down at the city her whole life. What she knows has always just come naturally to her, been bred into her…and she can’t stand any of it.


Fire in the Hole

By Snare-chan

**Pairings**: None  
**Ratings**: PG-13  
**Category(ies)**: General  
**Warning(s)**: None  
**Status**: One-shot, complete

**Summary**: Ashelin has looked down at the city her whole life. What she knows has always just come naturally to her, been bred into her…and she can't stand any of it.

**Notes**: I bet none of you thought I could do a serious piece, did you? Well I can and I did, so nhee! I'm actually surprised how well this story came along and progressed so fully, even though I'm not a real fan of many of the girls in the Jak series. Don't get me wrong, they are all unique and strong willed – but can't they just put some real clothes on? I mean jeebus, even Jak is fully covered.

And if any of you didn't get a picture of a young Erol using a magnifying glass to set a hill of ants on fire, I have failed as a fanfic writer. You'll see what I mean when you get there…or maybe not.

* * *

Ashelin had lived in the palace all her life. It was the only world she'd ever known. From day one she was raised by the way of life that was seen fit for a Baron's daughter. She was given the opportunity to learn, to live bordering on a royal lifestyle. This was her home, where she'd been born, where she'd grown up.

And she absolutely hated it.

People would literally kill to have exactly what she does. Position; power...it's all the same when it comes down to it. She knew she was fortunate, but she also knew it could be better. Much better. When she'd first outright defied her father – something she still feels to this day to be as frightening as it was then – and joined the ranks of the Krimzon Guard, she'd learned the hard way that Haven City was not a place one really wanted to live in.

Her view didn't change right away; it had taken many years of hard work, strife, and combat to acquire the knowledge she holds today. Fighting through the ranks would of course change anybody, but no one could have prepared her for the sights she would witness. She was sure there was still a lot she didn't know, couldn't possibly understand or even believe…but she'd seen enough.

Violence, hardship, fears. It's an endless cycle of pain and heartache out there – fight or die, dog-eat-dog. All this time it had been right in front of her, down below and outside the windowpanes of the palace, and she'd never noticed it before. Perhaps it had been that she was just too young to comprehend what was really going on, or naïve enough to smile and nod when her father said everything was all right. Whatever the excuse, she knew better now, and had come to realize that there was more to this place than a high end view.

Sighing, she leaned against the metal support railing, peering at everything her eyes could see. Through the clean cut glass and morning smog people were bustling about, living messily from paycheck-to-paycheck and bottle-to-bottle. Things seemed considerably calm today.

"They look like ants from here, don't you agree?"

Using all her willpower not to tense at the sound of the other's voice, she turned to face her commander, Erol. She wisely didn't point out that, to him, they always appeared like insects worthy of the underside of his boots. In fact, she chose not to say a single word at all. Ashelin did straighten as he moved over to stand beside her, his elbows resting casually right next to hers, the cocky…

"Like a colony of ants and nothing more."

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" She finally bit out, not in the mood for his psycho reels. She'd come to this secluded sector of the building for a reason, and being disturbed was not that reason.

"You don't think so?" He sounded almost amused at the prospect, like he was humoring her and making fun of her at the same time, "Then what do you see?"

"I see people, just like…you and me."

She practically gagged as she admitted that. It'd taken a lot of energy out of her to put Erol and herself on the same level, even though they weren't. They were nothing alike, not in the least. Not as human beings, in rank, or how they thought. He was hot and she was cold, and that was that.

That amused expression of his that he wore like the racing mask was still in place, mocking her somehow. She suddenly got the feeling he was up to something, and she had no idea what. She didn't like that sensation at all.

"Is there something you wished to discuss with me, Erol?"

"Not particularly."

She nodded sternly, pushing away from the bars and starting past him. If he wasn't going to take the hint and leave then she was.

"Though… I am curious about something."

Stopping dead in her tracks, she peered at him over her shoulder. The other hadn't moved at all, his face still watching the citizens on the streets. Only with the patience she possessed through harsh training did she bother to stand there to wait for him to continue.

"What were you looking at?"

She cocked a brow, wondering if he was actually serious. Ashelin highly doubted he'd actually come here wondering what she had been looking at this whole time. All the same, she decided to play along this one time. Moving back over to the railing she leaned over just slightly to take in the sights once more.

"I already told you, I see people."

"Is that all?" Now he sounded bored, uninterested. The man had more mood swings than she did on one of her good days. "That sort of thinking can get a person killed, you know."

"Excuse me?"

"If that's all you can see, then I'm sorely disappointed. You above all else should know about those people's intentions, like, say, those of the Underground…"

For a split second she almost panicked. Did he know about her position? About Torn and that Jak person? How she regularly filled them in about her father's actions? Quickly, she shoved aside such doubts. He was just going on about his insane thoughts again, nothing more. The Commander couldn't possibly know; she'd been nothing but careful.

"Or those who live in this city. They've all got their little job and their little worries and nothing else. They're either a part of this colony or not, survival and serving their leader are their only concerns."

"And what would that make you, exactly?" she countered coolly. He obeyed the Baron more closely than even she did at times, so wasn't he just like the worker ants he claimed the rest of the population was? Ashelin had cornered him in his own tangent, or so she thought.

"I'm the fire."

The man couldn't seem to resist cackling at her confused expression, his tone going full circle and sounding amused. "The Krimzon Guard; they're red like a fire, don't you think? Keeping things in their place, always thriving and burning. We're what keep these people warm and safe."

"Until they get too close and get burned."

"Yes, but then again, shame on them for playing with fire in the first place."

As he spoke he inched a bit closer, invading her personal space. A part of her was certainly disturbed, but another – her pride – wouldn't forgive herself if she backed down. So she remained rooted to her spot, staring him down.

"Who is really the one playing with fire here, I wonder?"

"I think you could better explain that one to me."

A soft beeping sound came forth from Erol's belt, temporarily disrupting their 'conversation'. She was more than relieved when he backed off to answer the call, listening into the earpiece for a moment before tucking the equipment away.

"Sorry General, but I'm afraid duty calls."

Thank Precursors for small favors.

She nodded once in acknowledgement and watched his retreating form, not even daring to relax until he was well out of her sight. How had their discussion gone from bugs to fire at such a fast rate, anyway?

_What were you looking at?_

Ashelin immediately thought better of trying to figure that one out for fear that the answer might drive her as crazy as the madman she'd had the conversation with in the first place. Shaking her head tiredly, she looked back outside.

_At a world that should have nothing to do with people like…_

_Us_.

Fin-


End file.
